Hey folks - Firas here.
Most cybersecurity companies are built around a simple promise: stop attackers from getting in.
Shachar Hirshberg, co-founder and CEO of Artemis, believes that assumption is already outdated.
When I sat down with Shachar, he painted a future that feels uncomfortably close. A world where cyberattacks are fully autonomous. Where AI-powered attackers can move from initial access to data exfiltration in seconds, not days. A world where sophisticated attacks, once reserved for nation states, become available to anyone with access to the right AI tools.
The striking part wasn’t his prediction.
It was his conclusion.
Getting in is becoming inevitable.
For years, cybersecurity has focused on building taller walls. Better firewalls. Better prevention. Better detection at the perimeter. But Shachar argues that AI has fundamentally changed the economics of attacking. Intelligence is cheaper. Sophisticated attacks are easier. The barrier to entry continues to fall.
So if attackers eventually get in, the real question becomes: what happens next?
That insight became the foundation for Artemis.
Rather than obsessing over keeping attackers out forever, Artemis helps organizations understand their own environment so deeply that they can detect, contain, and neutralize threats before meaningful damage occurs. Shachar compares it to an immune system. The goal isn’t preventing every virus from entering the body. The goal is identifying what’s abnormal and responding before the infection spreads.
What stood out most to me was his view on competitive advantage.
Most people assume AI will create symmetry. Everyone gets access to the same models. Everyone gets access to similar technology.
But Shachar believes defenders still have one advantage attackers never will.
Context.
An attacker might know an exploit. They might know a vulnerability. They might even know how to gain access.
But they don’t know your business.
They don’t know which employee should have access to which system. They don’t know which server is critical to revenue generation. They don’t know what normal looks like inside your organization. That knowledge belongs to the defender. And in an AI-driven world, that context may become the most valuable asset of all.
As our conversation moved beyond cybersecurity, I asked Shachar where he sees the biggest opportunities for founders.
His answer was surprisingly simple.
Look for industries where AI doesn’t just improve workflows but fundamentally changes the economics of what’s possible. Then build for the world that’s coming, not the one that exists today.
It’s the same philosophy that led him to start Artemis. He didn’t wait for autonomous attacks to become commonplace. He looked at where the technology was heading and built for that future first.
And maybe that’s the broader lesson.
The best founders aren’t reacting to change.
They’re positioning themselves ahead of it.
Until next time,
Firas Sozan
The PMF Playbook
Find me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/firassozan/
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